World Bank Asbestos Guidance Document....

The World Bank loans money to governments for infrastructure projects in developing countries where asbestos-containing materials are widely used. Working with a well-known international authority, I prepared major sections of a document titled “Asbestos: Occupational and Community Health Issues and Resources for Best Practice Standards” for the World Bank. This document will be used by World Bank procurement and field operations officers.

The sections and appendices that I prepared emphasized the use of the ASTM asbestos control standards for which I am responsible as the chairman of the Task Group on Asbestos Management. The World Bank Guidance Note recognizes these as the basis for an asbestos management program and also identifies other ASTM standards for asbestos sampling & analysis. One appendix identifies resources in the form of consensus standards and government regulations from the US and other countries, and another appendix provides guidance for working with asbestos-containing materials in existing structures. These considerations are particularly relevant in countries where the use of asbestos-cement products is prevalent.